THE recent sunshine has sparked the spring flowers into action and on a sunny morning, a group of nine walkers met up with Sheila from Penarth and District Ramblers for a delightful walk beginning from Pontyclun.
From the War Memorial, surrounded by bright yellow daffodils, they passed through Pontyclun Park and made their way through Ivor Woods where trees have been cleared because of Ash dieback. They passed over the busy M4 for the gradual climb beside the motorway towards Talygarn, once owned by George T Clark who had multiple occupations, including being the manager of Dowlais Ironworks. Celandines and wood anemones carpeted their next woodland before they passed below the motorway to enter Miskin.
On through the pretty village before they stopped at St David’s Church for their morning break whilst hearing about David Williams, a one-time owner of Miskin Manor. After viewing the interior of the church, they made for the River Ely and walked through part of the delightful Miskin Manor grounds, before crossing meadows to join the road into Groes Faen and their second church, also dedicated to St David, which was the perfect place to stop for lunch in its churchyard.
They viewed the unusual church door handle which is a serpent with wings outstretched before passing through narrow lanes into fields for the journey to Cefn Parc cemetery and across the River Clun. Then tree-lined paths beside the river led them to a road over the River Ely for the short journey back through Pontyclun to their start.
The delights of Three Cliff Bay
Rather unfortunately, the group’s 32nd birthday fell on Mothering Sunday and the day the clocks went forward, but to celebrate the occasion Joy led an 11-mile walk on south Gower, beginning from Penmaen.
Eight keen ramblers plus Biggles the dog joined her for the road walk down to Penmaen headland with its glorious views across Oxwich Bay before dropping down through sandy burrows into Three Cliff Bay.
The earlier morning high spring tide had flooded the paths in the Pennard-Pill valley and, sloshing through mud and water, they made towards Parkmill, before a climb up onto the clifftop beside the green leaves of wild garlic. Undulating sandy paths led them to the ruined Pennard Castle with its fantastic views and a stop for morning break, whilst enjoying home baked scones and chocolate cake from Josie.
Energy replenished, they headed east past flowering gorse bushes on the clifftop to reach Southgate and, turning inland and along a lane, they entered woodland where the buds on trees were almost beginning to burst. They went across Pennard Burrows for the journey down into Parkmill. Entering the pretty Ilston Cwm, with its meandering stream,, meant a stop for lunch at the ruined Trinity Well Chapel, an area where the first Baptists practised their faith in Wales, led by John Myles.
Pretty wood anemones graced the woodland floor as they crossed the river and up through woodland and fields to reach Lunnon, and then downhill by road and a steep narrow track to cross the ford at Parkmill, for the journey past the burial chamber in Park le Breos, which is 6,000 years old. The rough track through the valley led them out below Cefn Bryn and more lovely views down to Three Cliff Bay on the return to their start point.
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Joy Strangward
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